This apartment in Harlem falls in one of the 20 most expensive zip codes to rent in America. RENT Café If you rent in New York City or San Francisco, chances are you've felt the pinch of your monthly payments — and wondered whether you might be able to get a better deal in a different neighborhood, or a different city altogether.

Turns out, of the 20 most expensive zip codes for renters in the US, New York City neighborhoods take 15 of the top spots, according to data collected by real estate site RentCafe. Rounding out the bunch are several San Francisco neighborhoods and one in Los Angeles.

It should be noted that RentCafe's study comes with a few caveats. Only buildings with at least 50 rental units were considered, meaning that many zip codes with small-scale apartment rentals (as is common in cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles) would be excluded. Zip codes with a small rental inventory — defined as having fewer than 200 units currently on the market — were also excluded.

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20. 90405: The median rental price in this Santa Monica, California, zip code is $3,832. Here's a quaint cottage, located just off the beach, that you could pick up for $3,900 a month.

RENT Café

Median rent: $3,832/month

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19. 94107: For $3,885 a month, you can get a one-bedroom apartments in San Francisco's tech-centric SoMa neighborhood.

RENT Café

Median rent: $3,851/month

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17 (tie). 10038: This one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan's Financial District will run you $3,750 a month, just below the $3,855 median rent for the zip code.

RENT Café

Median rent: $3,855/month

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17 (tie). 10069: This Trump Place apartment on New York City's Upper West Side looks out over the Hudson River. Median rents in the neighborhood are $3,855 a month.

RENT Café

Median rent: $3,855/month

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16. 10023: Also on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, this zip code has a median rent of $3,890 for apartments like this spacious studio.

RENT Café

Median rent: $3,890/month

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15. 10016: Here's a Murray Hill one-bedroom for $3,850 per month. It's under 1,000 square feet, but spacious and full of light from the corner-oriented windows.

RENT Café

Median rent: $3,895/month

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14. 94105: In San Francisco, you can call this modern, furnished South Beach area apartment home for just under $4,000 per month.

RENT Café

Median rent: $3,911/month

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13. 94158: In Mission Bay, San Francisco, you can hang your hat at this open-plan contemporary spot for $3,995 a month.

RENT Café

Median rent: $3,931/month

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12. 10019: Just off of Lincoln Center, this New York City zip code has a median rental price of $3,960. This one-bedroom in a high-rise apartment building is 800 square feet and has partial river views.

RENT Café

Median rent: $3,960/month

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11. 10026: Harlem is an up-and-coming real estate hotspot in Manhattan; this apartment in a doorman building with huge windows will cost you $3,800 per month.

RENT Café

Median rent: $3,990/month

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10. 10002: If you prefer downtown living, the Lower East Side might be your cup of tea — for a median monthly price of $4,032. This neighborhood was once known for its tenements, but new buildings like The Chrystie (pictured) offer brand-new, light-filled apartments.

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Median rent: $4,032/month

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9. 10003: In the East Village's StuyTown, you could get cozy in an updated one-bedroom with a spacious living room.

Point2Homes

Median rent: $4,095/month

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8. 10001: Floor-to-ceiling windows in this North Chelsea high-rise building give you full skyline views. The median price in this zip code is $4,150 per month.

Point2Homes

Median rent: $4,150/month

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7. 10025: Up on the Upper West Side, for $4,185 a month you can snag a place like this one-bedroom in a luxury apartment building. Building amenities include a fitness center and private picnic area.

RENT Café

Median rent: $4,185/month

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6. 94920: The only non-New York City zip code to crack the top 10, apartments in this part of California's Belvedere Tiburon go for a median $4,100 per month. But you'll get plenty of bang for that buck: this is a 2-bedroom unit in a house, with garage, wood-burning fireplace, and shared swimming pool.

ForRentByOwner

Median rent: $4,100/month

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4 (tie). 10065: If the Upper East Side is more your style, you can look to buildings like this traditional mid-rise one in Lenox Hill, where a median price of $4,200 per month will get you a one-bedroom with nearby subway access.

Point2Homes

Median rent: $4,200/month

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4 (tie). 10010: In the central Manhattan neighborhood of NoMad, median monthly rents hover at $4,200. For that, you can get a one-bedroom like this one.

Point2Homes

Median rent: $4,200/month

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3. 10282: The number three slot is taken up by the downtown neighborhood of Battery Park City, known for its stellar water views. The median rent prices jump to $4,615 each month, with which you can get a 700-square-foot one-bedroom like this one.

Point2Homes

Median rent: $4,615/month

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2. 10014: The West Village is one of few Manhattan neighborhoods to still hang on to a sense of small-town coziness. This apartment — with wood floors, granite countertops, and complimentary cocktail parties for residents — is in one of only a few new buildings to have sprung up in the last decade.

Point2Homes

Median rent: $4,650/month

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1. 10036: Just a few blocks from Times Square, Hell's Kitchen's median rent price is $4,720. This three-bedroom apartment is in a doorman building with a pool and rooftop deck.